


For Money

by Damsel



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Retelling, Reylo - Freeform, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-17 08:36:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16971324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Damsel/pseuds/Damsel
Summary: Yet another modern AU retelling with BB8 as a corgi, Rey is a scrappy artist and Kylo is a shrewd businessman.





	1. Her Routine

* * *

 

She worked hard because of money.

She'd wake up and make herself instant coffee because store bought was too expensive. She'd fix her hair back in a bun. Or two. Or three. She'd pray her '70s moped would start that morning.

She'd pick up shifts at the local diner - always on time, never missed a shift. Shifts were money. She liked working at the diner because she could eat scraps for meals and collect empty cans. Aluminum cans were money. She'd ask around town for odd jobs or anything that needed fixing, but she'd always find her way back to the local junk yard, a bag of scrap over her shoulder. If her moped hadn't started, she'd barter for parts. Whatever was left over from that day's earnings would go straight into the bank, save a little for that night's meal.

She'd purposefully park a block away from her favorite deli just so she could walk past the art supply store and peer in at the displays. She'd order her usual; a veggie sandwich and bottled water. The guy behind the counter would always let her take a newspaper for free ever since she fixed the door for him. 

Her last stop of the day was in front of her old elementary school. The school was usually closed, so it was a quiet spot. A spot with a lot of memories. It was there that she got most of her creativity. She'd pull out her pad and write down the words that flowed from her mind. Sometimes they formed poems. Sometimes rants. And some times she would write the same word over and over until it filled the page. She liked the way words looked on paper. But words weren't money.

Only when the sun had completely set would she head home. Her least favorite part of the day.

This was her routine.

* * *

There should have been silence in the entire house. Rey knew this because she was very careful. This house had been abandoned since June and she took every precaution any squatter would take to keep her presence unknown. 

But there it was - a sound. Scuffling. Just outside. No, it was inside. Something was inside. Rey figured it was an animal. Another raccoon? The last one was not a joke.

Rey grabbed her baseball bat and quietly lifted herself from her sleeping bag. She crept through the doorway, shivering from the cold. _Come out, little bugger,_  she thought. Her next thought was that she truly hoped it wasn't another raccoon.

A loud  _clang_  startled her, followed by a frightened patter of paws against the hardwood floor. The sound got louder and the animal wheeled around the corner. Rey raised her bat -

_A dog!?_  A stout, furry one, at that! An orange and white corgi, if her memory was to be trusted. The little dog stopped in its tracks and evaluated her, but a few twitches of its tail revealed that it had already made up its mind. Rey exhaled and lowered her baseball bat as the corgi ran up to her excitedly.

"What are you doing here?"

The dog had a collar. Rey tried to read the inscription on its tag, though the corgi was making it very hard for her with all its excitement.

"Beebee?" That was all it said. "Your name is Beebee?" The dog barked. Rey looked around. The door had come loose. "Where is your owner?"

Rey dared to look outside on the rural street. It was dark and lifeless. "Hello?" she whispered in to the night, hoping that was all it would take. No answer, of course. She stepped out further but there was still no one in sight. No activity at all. This dog must have wandered there from far away.

She looked down at the dog. It was standing by her side, looking up at her.

"You can't stay." The dog wagged its tail. "I'm serious. Go home." The dog caught whiff of something from inside and went straight for Rey's room. "No! I mean it!"

The dog was already sniffing through her personal things. It stepped on her sketch pad with no care. "Get off my stuff!" Rey yanked the pad out from under its feet, but Beebee was determined. Then Rey realized what she smelled, but it was too late. Beebee found the leftovers of Rey's sandwich in her bag and sunk its teeth into it.

"That wasn't for you! Oh my god." The thought of going without lunch tomorrow already made her stomach rumble. But the way the corgi wolfed down the food ... the dog was starving. Rey only half forgave the mutt as it licked its chops and looked over at her with doe eyes. Rey noticed for the first time that the beast had a butterfly nose and strikingly blue eyes. She'd never seen a dog like this with blue eyes. It was almost unsettling.  _Weird._

It trotted over to her and asked for a pet. Rey tried to resist, but that was impossible. A few scratches behind the ear and Rey decided it was too late to go looking for its owner and it could stay the night. But only for the night.

She would usually spend the next few hours trying to keep from replaying scenes in her head or imagining her life differently. It would take hours to finally fall asleep, but all she could focus on right now was the wriggling pup shifting around in her sleeping bag. It was warm so she let the pup near. When Beebee finally settled, so did Rey.

* * *

The offices of the First Order banking firm were cold. Summer had just come and gone and it was not technically winter yet. Heat cost money.

_"Special delivery,"_  said the message on his phone. He smirked.

The door opened shortly afterwards with the 'package.' A man's ragged breathing filled the silence of the room.

"Wow. You got a nice office for yourself, Ben."

"My name plate is on my desk. You can read."

The ragged man laughs. "I'm not calling you that."

Ren turned around from the window, seeing Dameron for the first time in years. He was being handled by two suited men and had acquired a bruise around one of his eyes.

"Take a fall on your way here?" asked Ren with a raised eyebrow. Poe's eyes bore into him, perhaps trying to appeal with him. It wouldn't work. "Sit." Ren gestured before his desk, as if Poe could move on his own accord. The two men pulled him into a seat with force. Ren took his time in sitting at a his desk, pulling out a legal pad and his pen of choice. The room was dark, but just enough light slipped in through the blinds. Poe felt as if he were locked away. 

The sound of Ren's pen moving across the paper was the only sound to be heard in between Poe's increasingly agitated breathing. "Well?" He pleaded for Ren speed up this torture. Ren ignored him and pressed a button on his phone.

An older woman's voice buzzed over the intercom. "Yes, Mr. Ren?" 

"I will be unavailable for the next hour." Ren looked up and received Poe's heavy glare. "Actually, clear my entire evening."

"Yes, sir."

Ren leaned back into his chair and tapped his pen on the black marble desk. "So."

"So," repeated Poe in disgust.

"Should we do this the hard way?" There was something almost playful in Ren's voice.

Poe pulled against the men holding him down into the seat. "If you thought this would be easy, you were wrong."

"No," Ren shot back. "Despite what you think, I don't normally meet with my clients under these circumstances."

Poe huffed. A client, was he? "You could have fooled me. Looks like you've turned into a real villain. Instead of seeing people, you see walking dollar signs. Right? You don't care how much people this will displace - how many people will be on the streets. As long as you get a couple extra digits for yourself."

Ren allowed a beat of silence. "Are you done?"

"Let me go," Poe demanded. "You've got to know I'm going to press charges."

"For what, exactly? Your injury is self-inflicted -"

"Trying to run from your  _goons_." Ren dismissed his interruption with a hand wave.

"You have been and will be very cooperative. I assure you." The words were a threat.

Poe shifted, "And why's that?"

A quick gesture from Ren and one of the suited men picked up a suitcase. They unlatched it and placed it open in front of Poe. Taunting him.

"A quarter of a million, if you're wondering," chimed Ren. He was enjoying the look on Poe's face. "Yours for any endeavor you so choose. A nonprofit, perhaps? You want to help people, well ... That's up to you now, isn't it?"

"I ...," Poe's words drifted away. All he had to do was help this banking firm with their agenda and with that money he could change the lives of so many people. Or himself. He could -

If he gave in, thousands of people would lose their jobs and the tens of thousands that relied on those people would be helpless.

"No." It was weak at first, so Poe repeated himself. "No. Keep your blood money."

Ben leaned back into his chair and narrowed his eyes. He gestured for the suited man to take away the case of money. Poe almost regretted his decision. He knew he would never see it again. He trained his eyes back on the shadow-painted banker. Someone he once called a friend.

"Is that all you had?" Poe sneered. 

_Don't test me,_  thought Ren. "Well, it seems like you got me. You are free to go." The force of the suited men pressing him into the seat did not let go. "There's only ... one more question I have for you."

Ren was very still, eyes very direct. "How much do you care about that dog?"

Poes eyes widened. "What ... What have you done with her?"

"Nothing. I'm sure some pound has found her a comfortable concrete cell. Don't worry. I'm told they don't euthanize the dogs immediately."

Ren turned around in his chair so that he faced the window again.

"I'm sure I could locate the shelter, but it might take me a while."

Poe wanted to curse. He wanted to leap across that desk and throttle him. But he was suddenly very weak. Tears welled in his eyes. "Please, don't hurt her," he whispered.

"You'll have to speak up."

"Don't -," Poe's voice cracked. He cleared his throat. He closed his eyes, imagining his beloved pet. "Whatever you want. I'll give you whatever you want."

Ren took in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"I knew you would."

* * *

Director Hux and the head of security, Captain Phasma, stood outside of Ren's office with scowls.

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Ren is not taking any visitors at this time."

"Yes, I  _heard_  you," said Hux.

Finally the door burst open and two of his men pushed a man out of the room.

"Mr. Dameron," said the Director, not a bit surprised to see him here. But the man had no fight left in him. Hux peered into the darkness of the office before him. That boy of a man was likely reveling in yet another victory.

"Where is she?" He turned his focus back on Poe who was pleading with them, "Beebee. He said you'd tell me."

"Beebee?" He racked his brain.  _Oh. The dog._ His men were under orders to keep it in custody until this all blew over. 

Captain Phasma spoke up, "We have your address on file. I'll return the creature to you personally." This answer only pained the man. 

"Escort Mr. Dameron outside, please," Hux instructed the suited men. He waited until they were gone before looking over to Phasma and her subordinates. "Did you remember to take the dog?"

The two guards looked at each other. Hux slowly turned to face them, not taking kindly to their hesitation. "The dog?"

One of the two spoke for them both, "It ... got away. Sir."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Hux narrowed his eyes on his head of security before walking briskly away.

Captain Phasma took a step towards them, her features starting to twitch with anger. She pointed to the man that spoke up. "You're fired."

"But -" 

The Captain then pointed to the other, darker-skinned man. "You." He gulped.

 "Bring. Me. That. Dog."

* * *

Kylo Ren splashed water on to his face. He watched the drops fall into the sink in front of him. They slipped quickly in the black abyss of the drain. Gone. The tiles on his bathroom floor were heated, but the ceramic of the sink was like ice.

He straightened his back and faced his reflection again. It was the same as the day before and it would be same tomorrow. He had considered himself decent at one time, but he had since realized that was a lie imparted by his parents to coddle him. The women who vied for his attention were interested in the depths of his wallet. 

And who could blame them? For he was barely human. Only a monster could do what he did each and every day. If that's what it took to attain his quality of life, then so be it. He was too comfortable now. He was finally where he belonged.

Ren opened a bottle and popped a couple pills into his mouth. He swallowed them dry while watching his reflection.

His phone buzzed and he checked it immediately. Only internal work emails, but he would still lie in bed and read them thoroughly like every night. He'd wander online and check a bookmark to an article about the disappearance of a local chairman. He would check this link every so often, hoping for a new clue.  _I will find you._

His fists would unfurl only when the pills kicked in.

* * *

Rey walked down the sidewalk with a corgi in her arms. If only it had run away with leash, too. 

She asked the neighbors if they were missing any dogs, but none one claimed the thing. Her next stop was to try the businesses in town, but she was getting nowhere. They'd ask if she was available for a job or two ... it hurt to turn down the work. "You're costing me a lot of money," said Rey as she ruffled the fur on the beast's head.  _And food_ , she thought to herself.

She made her way to the junk yard to see if Unkar knew the dog's owner. The junker didn't pay much mind to Rey when she walked in like always, but the sight of the dog caught his attention.

"What do you got there?"

"Do you know anyone who lost a weird corgi?"

"'Weird' corgi?"

"Yeah, it's eyes are blue. It's weird."

The junker leaned closer to inspect it. He was pleased with what he saw. "I'll take him," he decided quickly.

"You ... know the owner?" Rey didn't believe that, of course.

Unkar calculated his next words carefully. "... No. I'll pay for him. $600."

Rey almost dropped the dog. Six- _hundred_  dollars? For this thing? She almost slammed the dog on the counter with a smile and outreached hand ... But then she looked down at the dog. She couldn't. This dog wasn't a stray. It was loved. Someone wanted it back. It deserved more than being pawned off.

"He's not for sale." Rey backed out of the main office with an even tighter hold on the pup. "See you later." She slipped away.

Unkar did not like that.

* * *

The money. It was gone. Rey's eyes read the same line over and over:  _Available Balance: $-24.50._ Negative?  _Negative!?_ She had almost $1,000 saved up in that account. The amount would lower sometimes when she needed something but she would always work hard to raise it back up again. She was so close this time. She was going to finally go home -

Rey crouched down and pressed her forehead into the stone wall next to the ATM. Her shoulders shook as she silently sobbed. How much longer was she going to have to wait now?

The young pup tried to get her attention, dancing around on the sidewalk. She had only wanted to buy food for the dog, maybe a leash ... but her card declined.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the corgi. It calmed down at her shaking touch. She couldn't take care of it if she couldn't take care of herself. She was going to have to take the dog to a shelter.

Rey wiped her tears away. It was broad daylight and she let herself break down. How embarrassing.  _But why?_  Where did that money go?

"Come on." She scooped up the dog into her arms with the intention of marching straight to her bank.

Instead she turned to face two dangerous-looking men. She had seen them around the junkyard sometimes. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"The dog," one of them said with a tilt of their head. Rey hugged the beast closer, "No."

They weren't going to listen. One reached out for her. Rey kicked him straight in his shin.

* * *

Finn watched her from a distance. Her jeans had holes and her shirt was stained, but there she was ... holding the million-dollar dog. The Captain made it very clear that he needed to bring that dog in if he was going to keep his job. Dameron made accessing the GPS in the dog's collar easy, but this was by far the weirdest assignment he ever received. He only hoped he wouldn't have to get rough. He had never laid a hand on a woman in his life and he didn't want to start now.

He moved forward -

Something was wrong with the girl. She didn't like what she read on the ATM. She was devastated. The dog was unsecured, however. It would be easy to take it right then ... but Finn wasn't moving. He could see her shoulders shake. She was crying. Something inside Finn broke. 

But in the next moment, he saw two thugs watching her from a few steps away. Her back was to them - she wouldn't see them coming. Finn reached out his arm just as he was about to warn her, but she stood up and saw the men herself.  _Oh no_ , he thought. He quickly cross the streets to intervene, but the girl had already made a move. 

Finn was on them. He lunged for the tallest one and swung him into the wall. "The fuck!?" sputtered the thug. He was right:  _what on earth was he doing?_ He had no time to think - the other man was winding up to throw a fist in the girl's direction. To Finn's surprise, she ducked his blow and landed her own squarely in the thug's chest. He gasped for air.

_Who the hell is she?_ Finn met eyes with the poor girl in a look that said she was asking the same thing about him.

The two men moved to attack again, but it would be safer to flee. Finn grabbed the girls hand and pulled her away. They ran around a block and turned a corner just before she stopped cooperating.

"What are you doing!?" The girl yanked her hand away. Finn huffed, looking over his shoulder. The men rounded the corner in hot pursuit. Finn grabbed her hand once more. No time to talk.

* * *

A few more blocks and they were in front of the junkyard. This is exactly where she didn't want to end up. Rey pulled her hand from the strange man once more. "Stop doing that!"

"Doing what?"

"Holding my hand!" she clarified by holding up her palm to his face. He blinked a few times and then desperately searched the ground. When he saw that Beebee had followed them, he sighed with what looked like relief. Rey narrowed her eyes on him. He almost caused her to abandoned the dog.   _Good thing its little legs could keep up._

Rey moved to pick the dog up, but the man moved first. He approached Beebee but the beast started to growl. They both froze. This was the first time Rey had seen the dog act this way.

"Good doggie. Come here, doggie."  _What is he doing?_  Rey looked him over. There was an earpiece hanging over his ear.  _Police? FBI?_

"Who are you!?" she demanded immediately. She stepped in between him and the dog, who was still growling.

"I ...," he started. Rey's eyes widened. Over the man's shoulder she saw the two thugs again. They spotted her and starting running! Rey scooped up Beebee and darted inside of the junkyard.

"Wait up!" The strange man shouted at her and trailed shortly behind. She looked over all the cars sitting in the lot. She cursed, knowing only one was in working order. It was better than nothing.

Rey slipped into the driver's seat and put Beebee in the passenger's. She slipped down to hot wire the car. She had never done this before, but it could work - in theory. The unknown man opened the passenger side door and was promptly barked at by the corgi. "My mistake!" He opened the back door instead.

"Get out!" Rey demanded. 

The man jumped around to look out the back window. "Hurry up!" Beebee would not stop barking.

"Get out! I don't know you!"

"They're almost here!"

They were. Rey had no choice. She gunned it out of the scrapyard, hitting the fence with the fender as she tore out and onto the street. Skid marks were all that were left. Unkar ran outside of the main office to witness his men running after a speeding vehicle. That girl took his car.

* * *

What had he done? Finn watched the girl weave through the streets and shift gears like she was a professional driver. At least the dog was here. The blue eyes and everything. 

The car pulled to the side and came to sudden stop. Their eyes met in the rear-view mirror.

"Are you going to tell me who you really are now?"

Finn was at a loss for words. He could just tell her that he was here for the dog, but would she just give it to him?

"Where did you get that dog?" he avoided her question.

"I found him. I didn't steal him."

"I didn't say you did." Finn was a little hurt that she would assume the worst from him.

"Who are you? I saw your earpiece." She wasn't letting up. Finn touched the device in his ear and closed his eyes. "You're too well-dressed to be out here," she continued. She wasn't stupid, he had to give her that.

"I'm Finn." Her eyes bore into him for a long moment.

"Rey."

Her name was Rey?  _The mission. Remember the mission._

Finn moved forward to gauge how easily it would be to take the dog, but Rey slammed her arm in between the seats defensively. After watching her fight, Finn knew she was packing a punch. He backed off. He racked his brain for a convincing lie.

"That dog belongs to Poe Dameron. I'm his bodyguard. Her name is Beebee," said all while keeping eye contact with her no less. She evaluated him. Finn began to sweat. This lie was never going to work.

"Poe Dameron?  _The_  Poe Dameron?" She cracked a smile, utterly star-struck. "You know him?"

"Uh ... yeah." Wow, he couldn't believe his luck. He should have been happy to have fooled her so easily, but instead he felt sad. Could she really be so naive?

"All right," Rey inhaled as she turned back to the wheel. "Where should I drop you off?"

Before Finn could answer, red and blue lights surrounded the car. A shrill siren reminded him.

They had stolen a car.


	2. New World

Rey had been handcuffed before in her life, but by the way that Finn was fidgeting next to her, she could tell that this was his first time. She couldn't blame him for worrying. She'd never committed grand theft auto before. She looked around the police department with despair. She had hoped telling the truth would reprieve her, but the cops taking her statement didn't have an ounce of empathy.

One cop put it very bluntly: "It's up to the owner of the car. If he presses charges, you'll sleep behind bars tonight." Unkar would press charges, she knew. She didn't want to tell the bodyguard that, though. He was already too strung out. So they waited for the owner to show up. 

An older man in a leather jacket strode up beside the bench and gave Finn and Rey a look.

"Can I help you, sir?" asked one of the officers.

"Yeah, I'm here to get my car back." The old man said it as he looked back at the two sitting solemnly on the bench. It was then that Rey realized that Unkar wasn't the owner of that car. Her mouth hung open.

The officer handed the old man some paper work. He wasn't like most men his age. There was something about him. He gestured with his head over at Rey and Finn and the officer nodded. Rey gulped and sat straight in her chair.

"I shouldn't have taken it," she rushed to say. The man seemed to listen to her. "I'm so ... so sorry."

"People were chasing after us!" added Finn. "We had to!" The old man held out his hand to silence him. "Yeah, all right." He said nothing move and turned back to the officer.  _Why doesn't he yell at us?_

They handed the man back his car keys. His lips curled into a smirk while looking down at them in his hand, like he was remembering an old friend. 

"Would you like to press charges?" asked the officer. Rey and Finn leaned forward intensely.

The old man just tapped the desk and sighed, "Too much paper work."

Finn laughed nervously. Rey was sure he was quite relieved, but she was only confused. "Wait," she called for him. She stood up to get his attention, but ... she had nothing to say.

"We need a ride," she finally said to fill the silence.

"Not my problem," replied the old man. He turned to leave again but she stopped him once more, "Please! They took away a dog that was with us."

This seemed to get the man's attention. "A dog?" he asked. She quickly nodded. Rey  _knew_  he was an animal lover. She just knew it.

* * *

Beebee was safe in Rey's arms as she slid into the back seat of the old man's car she had stolen. Finn helped himself to the passenger's seat. The man gave him a look.

"Thank you," Rey whispered into the dog's fur as she hugged it closer. She a little too happy to see this mutt again.

The old man played it cool and dismissed her gratitude, but she knew he had a soft spot for dogs.

"What kind of music do you listen to, Solo?" Finn played with the radio knobs, but the old man knocked his hand away. "That's Mr. Solo to you, kid."

Han started the engine and shifted into gear, but the car only revved when he put on some gas. He tried the same motions again, but nothing changed. Rey quickly leaned forward, removed a rubber cap from beside the stick and pressed down to manually release the shifter. The car started moving so the man had to slam on the brakes. His gaze slowly moved over to her. 

"The shifter was locked." 

"So I see. Buckle up," he kept his eyes on her a little longer before setting course to the big city. He said he knew Poe Dameron personally and would take them to him. Finn didn't seem very pleased about this, though. Rey wasn't sure why, but figured he was in trouble with his boss for losing the dog in the first place. Every so often she could hear someone speak into Finn's earpiece, but he never responded. 

She pet the corgi in her lap and looked out the window. The buildings were getting taller and taller and the sun was setting, painting each building in vivid, neon lights. She allowed herself to admire the skyline for once.

"You can roll down the window," offered Han, watching her from in front.

"May I?" Rey had to manually roll down the window since the car was ancient, but oh, was it worth it. The wind lapped at her face and she loved every second of it. The smell. The sound.

Han almost laughed, "You act like you've never been in the city before."

"I haven't," she said like it was nothing at all, but Han's smile faded.

Beebee stuck her head out of the window as well and they both enjoyed the scenery dancing around them.

* * *

"2187 hasn't responded," reported Captain Phasma.

"Is he dead?" The woman gave him an odd look. He realized then that that was unlikely. The only other explanation was dereliction of duty.

Everything that was on her desk fell into a broken heap at her feet.

"Anything else to report, Captain?"

"The ... the dog is in the city. Nearby. Last seen with - last seen in -"

"Tell me."

What she said next did not please Ren.

* * *

The car finally stalled in the outskirts of the city. Rey and Han's head bobbed under the hood, trading observations with each other. She knew what she was talking about. It was unusual to see such a young girl knowledgeable in cars from before she was born. Han watched her silently as she fiddled with the battery terminals, brushing the rust away that had built up. She reminded him of someone.

Finn stood with the corgi in his arms, looking out in every direction. Rey noticed this and smirked, "You don't have to bodyguard us." Finn looked over his shoulder at her but didn't answer.

"Bodyguard?" asked Han.

"Yeah, he's Mr. Dameron's bodyguard?" supplied Rey as they both looked to Finn for affirmation. His mouth hung open until he remembered to nod. He's lying. Han had to restrain a laugh. He hadn't kept in touch with the Resistance in a ... long time. He certainly didn't remember any bodyguards. Maybe things had changed since they went public. Maybe they were getting more death threats than usual. But now Han had his answer: the kid was lying. Well. That wasn't really his problem.

Rey sighed and stood back up, "I hate to break this to you, but I think ... we need a part."

_Damn._  "Yeah, I know." Han adjusted his belt and looked around. "I know a place we can go around here. Old friend. She can get your dog to its owner."

Finn turned around sharply -  a hint of worry in his face as he looked down at the corgi in his arms. It was best to get rid of these two before he ended up in whatever danger they were dragging with them.

* * *

"Takodana," read Rey as they walked through the non-descript door into a dusty, loud drinking establishment. It was also ... dark. Gamblers and bar fights she could handle but she couldn't take another step forward.

"A dive bar?" asked Finn from behind. Han shoved past them. Finn looked back at Rey and saw that she hadn't made it past a few steps inside. "Are you okay?"

Rey rubbed her eyes and blinked several times. Her gaze fell on Finn. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you were all right. Your eyes okay?" Rey was almost insulted. Was that such a weird thing to ask? No, it shouldn't be. Rey just realized that no one really ever cared enough to ask.

"I'm fine." Her eyes adjusted and she found Han at the bar.

"What are you havin'?" ask an old, weathered woman from behind the counter. Rey smiled, not used to seeing little old ladies in places like this, let alone running them.

"Maz." Han just looked at her until the old woman realized she wasn't wearing her bifocals. The woman slipped them onto her eyes and adjusted them. She saw Han and blinked. "Han Solo!" she shouted. The entire bar went silent. Han coughed and looked around, embarrassed. "The one and only." The old lady grinned from ear to ear. "Where's my boyfriend?" Han chuckled and picked at a coaster on the counter. "He's ... hanging out with Leia."

The old woman lost her smile. "When's the last time you saw her?"

"She doesn't want to see me," Han rattled off before turning away to use the restroom. The old ladies' magnified eyes fell on Rey next to him. She looked her up and down. 

Finn bumped into a stool with a clatter, avoiding some seedy customers. He looked very uncomfortable as people started to ask about the dog. "How long are we staying here?" His panic intrigued the old woman. She lurched forward, scaring him even more. "You're afraid," she assessed. Rey had noticed that, too. This man was getting more and more strange to her. Things weren't adding up. Why would a bodyguard be afraid of a bar? "You have somewhere to be, but you don't want to go," she continued. 

"You don't know me," he shot back with a scowl. Maz hit a nerve. 

"Give me the dog," asked Rey as she saw how sloppily he was handling Beebee in his state. 

"I got her," he reassured. Rey didn't want a fight, but he was worrying her. But it wasn't even her dog. Soon they would hand it back over to its rightful owner. Rey couldn't wait much longer, 

"When can we meet Mr. Dameron?" 

Maz cleaned the glass of her bifocals. "You want to meet the Chief? Hmph. I would love to tell you, but the word around town is that he's gone missing." Rey gasped. Eventually she stammered, "Why?" 

The old lady stopped to look at Finn, "Greed." Finn turned away. He looked sheepish. Rey wasn't satisfied with that answer. "I'm sorry, what?" 

Maz ignored her, "And I was told that your Falcon needed repairs, so just settle in, my dear. It's going to be a while." No, that wasn't okay. What if they came back today? What if today was the day? 

Urgency in her voice, "I can't stay. I have to go back home." 

"Home?" Maz raised an eyebrow. "Where exactly do you think 'home' is?"

 Rey opened her mouth to reply, but her words failed. She wanted to say Jak City - she wanted to say the junkyard - her basement - but no. None of those were home. "Please, can you get me taxi? I promise I can pay you back as soon as I can." Rey closed her eyes, remembering her negative bank balance. 

Again, Maz ignored her. "Where is your accent from?" 

"My ...? I'm ... from London." 

"You could barely answer me," teased Maz. 

"Don't you get asked that question a lot?" 

"No one really speaks to me ..." 

Rey trailed off, tiring of this interview. "Is it that they don't want to speak with you, or that you don't let them? Hmm?" 

Rey swallowed and looked away. It seems the old lady has a way of unnerving everyone. Yet, none of it mattered anymore. The only thought on her mind was about returning home. 

A glass slammed down on the counter next to Rey. The old man from the Falcon sat down next to her shortly after. "Drink," is all he said to her.

She didn't very much feel like drinking. After a beat, the old man chided, "Okay, then I'll drink it." She didn't want to seem ungrateful, so she swooped in before his hand took the glass away. "Thank you," she forced through her teeth. One deep breath later, she found the courage to drink the damn thing.

"What's your story?" The old man seemed interested in her, but in a way that Rey hadn't experience in a long time. It felt almost fatherly. Rey blushed at her own thoughts, the drink already starting to warm her bones.

"I'm nobody," she assured him.

"Bullshit." He was quick to reply.

_Yelp!_ Finn was mishandling the dog, fussing with its collar. Rey had seen enough. She walked over and demanded, "Give me the dog."

Finn didn't put up a fuss and handed the dog over to her, but he paused just before taking his arms away.

Rey frowned. "You are acting  _very_  weird." Her words were a warning.

Finn unclicked the dogs collar and removed it from its neck. Beebee barked.

"What are you doing!?"

"We need to get rid of this. Now." He held the collar out in front of him like it were explosive. Rey's eyes went large.  _Oh my god, is it explosive!?_

Without another word, Finn ran out of the bar. Rey attempted to follow him but he turned around to stop her, "Don't follow me!"

"What are you doing!? You've gone crazy!"

"This collar has a GPS in it!" He held the collar up. Rey looked at it and shrugged her shoulders, "So?"

Finn sighed. "I'm not ... I'm not Dameron's bodyguard."

Rey went cold. "What did you just say?"

"I lied," he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I had to. I need to take this GPS and get very far from here. Dameron isn't the only person looking for this dog."

Deep down, Rey already knew. There were very few people she could trust in this world, and right now she could only trust the dog. She had to be protected.


	3. His Routine

Ren worked hard because of money.

He'd wake up and shower for five minutes exactly. He'd shave his face if he could look at his own reflection that day - he was going unshaven for more days than he liked. He'd head down to his gym and shut off his brain while running the track. He'd do this for thirty minutes exactly until he had to head back up and shower for another five minutes exactly.

No message was left unread on his phone for longer than ten seconds. Phone calls were put on hold if another call came in. He'd turn on the Bluetooth in his car and slam on the wheel when he heard bad news. He wouldn't need to show his badge at the entrance of the firm because everyone knew who he was. His secretary would bring him his coffee and she'd have to bring it to him again if she got it wrong.

With his legal pad he'd outline that day's agenda and review all M&A reports. A phone or two have been broken during conference calls. More coffee. More phone calls. Lunch would be brought to him as he watched the others go out to eat together. He didn't have time for that. Time was money.

The moon would be high before he'd leave for that day. There was nothing waiting for him at home and that was just as well. He felt more at home at the firm.

But eventually he would have to go home and shower once more for five minutes exactly.

This was his routine.

 

* * *

 

Rey searched for an exit from the dive bar. Finn left through the front, she she would have to find another way out. The 'staff only' door stood before her. "I'm sorry," she whispered, before she slammed it open with her shoulder.

Shouts from the cooks did not stop her. She was in and out before they could finish their sentences. She tried one door handle - it didn't budge. So she tried another.

That door opened, but not to the outside. It revealed a room that did not belong in the back of a dive bar. Maps and papers were stapled to the walls. Radio and recording equipment strewn across tables. Pictures of people everywhere ... guns ... there were guns ...

"Oh my god," Rey said in realization. She found something she was not supposed to.

"You are either clever or full of luck." Rey jumped when she heard Maz's voice from behind.

"I'm sorry," she pleaded. "I shouldn't have come back here. I didn't see anything. Please -"

Maz shook her head. "Or maybe it was destiny."

This only confused Rey further. She didn't want any part of ... whatever this was. She pushed past Maz and the cooks who crowded her. She stopped the moment Maz told her to wait.

The old woman took a moment to adjust her glasses as Rey turned back around. "You don't know who you are, do you?"

The idea of her identity ... something she thought she knew but suddenly realized she had no concept of truly who she was. She only held memories. They were blurred and pained. The faces of her mother and father - or were they? With no photographs, their features were no longer clear in her mind. She couldn't even remember their names.

This woman was very effecient in unraveling her.

Maz retrieved a book from a shelf inside the secret room and walked towards Rey. She was giving it to her.

Propaganda, Rey assumed, for whatever underground movement this was. She didn't want to get involved. Rey refused the book with a quick shake of her head.

Before Maz could object, there was a loud clatter just then from the bar. The customers roared. Everyone around Rey moved instantly. The cooks began to destroy the papers and equipment in the secret room and Maz moved to check the kitchen.

Rey took that opportunity to find the real exit. The fire exit would do.

 

* * *

 

"We've found one of their hideouts, sir." The blonde-haired Phasma reported into her earpiece with pride.

The Director buzzed back, "And the dog?" Her smirk dropped, but of course she should have expected that would be all he cared about. It was her responsibility ultimately, baffoons aside.

"These are the last known coordinates of the GPS, before the tampering, sir." Phasma held the collar in her hand and tapped it with her fingernails. She had found it in a dumpster several blocks away. There were many who could have discovered the tracker and dealt with it, but for some reason she was so very sure it was employee 2187.

He was a new hire, but he came with top marks and excellent references. She would normally screen the new ones and be aware of all their tendencies and weaknesses ... but 2187 was utilized under emergency circumstances, unfortunately. She dared to trust his competenance and now she was the one who looked the fool.

Phasma was determined to recover not only the dog, but him as well.

 

* * *

 

It was the drink ... She had an empty stomach, and she was never one for drinking anyway.

She ran away from the bar and into the city, but she did not know the streets at all. It was fast. It was mean. Shapes blended together. Colors were loud. The sidewalk felt like sand, she couldn't run fast enough. She heard the voices from behind her. They screamed at her and she tried to run faster, but she couldn't - she couldn't -

Rey placed a hand over her heart to keep it from leaping out. _Stay in_ , she thought to herself. _Stay inside. The feeling will pass. Just ... hold on._

The dog barked at her, wriggling in her arms to the point that Rey felt she might accidentally drop her. She ducked in an alley to set her on the ground for a moment. Only a moment.

She took that moment to ask herself why she was even here, doing any of this? The corgi looked up at her with its blue eyes. It was waiting for her. Rey felt her heart jump again.

Voices. A group of men with earpieces like Finn's were on the street corner. A bystander was pointing in her direction. Someone was coming for her - no, the dog.

Rey wasted no time in pushing the dog away from her, "Run! Go! Run away! Hurry!" The dog needed to be pushed once more before it fled from the shadows of the men. The darkness crept over Rey. Her legs couldn't hold her any longer. She leaned on the brick wall in defeat. She could hear the patter of the corgi as it slipped away down the alley.

They stumbled over themselves when they realized the dog was already gone. She couldn't make out their faces, but she knew she didn't like them. "Don't touch me," she warned them - whoever they were.

"Search her," one commanded. It had the voice of a demon.

Rey screamed as the figures approached her. She stood up to defend herself, whipping out the pocket knife. It worked for a moment. They kept their distance.

"The dog, sir?"

A scuffle. Too many men now. "She was fleeing the safe house with the asset." The middle one moved forward, "She'll know."

Rey lost focus and felt her mind drifting away. A touch on her wrist was the last thing she remembered.

 

* * *

 

She had nothing of value. The contents of her bag was strewn across his desk. It confused him. Adjustable tools, worn. A flashlight. Mechanical parts he couldn't identify, several crushed cans that looked like she picked them up off the street, not one but two broken pencils and a pen, a pair of fingerless gloves, a toothbrush but no toothpaste, a handful of loose change and that pocket knife ... No identification. No wallet. Did she pay with pennies? Ren massaged his temples. The only thing worth investigating was a black notepad.

The notepad was weathered. Some pages had seen rain, some were torn. Some pages barely stuck to the binding and some had already fallen out and were replaced upside down. Some looked like they had been opened and referenced for years. The book naturally fell open to one such page. It was consumed with only one word repeated over and over: "family."

Ren ran his fingers over the dents that the ink made into the paper. The sensation wasn't disagreeable.

In between the graffiti were musings. Sometimes they resembled poems. They were harsh but strangely forgiving. Who had hurt her?

Ren turned the page and found drawings. Landscapes and portraits. He was a little amused that she held the confidence to sketch in ink. The drawings were lifelike, though crude. She still had a lot to learn.

He traced the lines. His fingers stopped over a portrait of a man. A man he used to know. A man he used to be.

Ren looked up from the pad with a start. It was him. He had shorter hair, but it was him. How?

How did she get a portrait of him? Who was this girl?

He jolted up and looked down at the page like it was an ancient relic. They've met before? She knew him? He searched every interaction he'd ever had - handshakes and nods ... the parties ... No. It was on the street. Her hairstyle struck a forgotten memory within him. His breathing slowed to a stop.

It was her. The girl who ...

 

* * *

 

_He stood in the middle of the bridge, watching the city lights dance on the rushing water below. He thought of how cold that water must be. He thought of how quickly a weak human body would be washed away. He thought of how far that water would take that body. Would it meet the ocean? If not, that body might be on the news the next morning._

_They would like that. They wish it on him, even now. Death._

_Why should he feel bad? Why should he want to appease them? They lost, he won. They were weak. They should have fought harder._

_Just one signature. Just one handshake._

_His breath spilled out into a frosty mist in front of him. He closed his eyes. Just one step ..._

_A crash from behind him. His eyes opened and his body fell backwards. A pair of hands grabbed at his jacket and kept him from falling off of the sidewalk and into traffic. The hands belonged to a young woman. "Don't!" she commanded. His heart beat uncontrollably, trying to make sense of what just happened._

_"Don't give up," she finally said, her voice less violent now. Her eyes were filled with a fire, even on this cold night. He didn't know her, but her accent perked his ears. He hadn't expected ... well, any of this._

_"No matter what you think, someone out there will miss you."_

_He was nobody to her, but her fists clutched at him like she was holding back a good friend. Her eyes pleaded with him like he was someone worth saving. Slowly, his thoughts trickled from the faces of the people he ruined and began to focus on hers. Who is this girl?_

_His phone rang, piercing the moment. The girl looked down towards the sound in his pocket. "See? You're missed already." That phone was only for business. Should he tell her that? She seemed to be proud of her statement. She wanted to be right. He wanted her to be right, too._

_He dug his phone out of his pocket and moved away from the girl. He looked down at the screen. He hadn't shown up at his celebratory dinner with the others. Without another thought, he chucked the phone over the edge and into the river below._

_The sound of a marker being uncapped drew his attention._

_The girl had a black sharpie now. She pulled his hand towards her. His instinct was to pull away, but she wrapped her fingers around his wrist. She must have worn gloves because they were warm._

_The girl wrote a long phone number on the palm of his hand. His brain lit up with alarm. That's going to take forever to get out!_

_"When you get a new phone, call this number," she said. Her number? "They can help." Not her number. She re-capped the marker. She memorized a suicide help number?_

_He sighed and turned away. This was ridiculous. He wasn't going to kill himself. He just wanted this interaction to end._

_"You can go," were his first words to her. "You've changed my mind."_

_He heard her take a few steps away after some hesitation. Finally._

_He looked over to watch her leave. She walked over to a moped that had fallen on the ground, but she didn't pick it up immediately._

_The girl turned on her heel, "No." He straightened his back. "I'm not going until you leave. Step away." He didn't respond. Was she ordering him around? She really didn't know who she was talking to. It was too novel to ignore, though. He took a few steps backwards and shoved his hands in his pockets with a look that asked, "Happy?"_

_She wasn't sure if she was satisfied yet. She decided that she wasn't. "Now ... walk two blocks away." Hair bounced in front of his eyes as he considered her words. She was meddlesome. Unwavering._

_He started to walk towards her. He got close enough to stare her right in the eyes, but there were no fear in them. If only she knew._

_He walked past her and off of the bridge into the city. He could hear her bike being pushed as she followed him quietly. He couldn't turn back even if he wanted to. The numbness of the situation started to shed. He focused on the sound of her footsteps. He could hear her following for two blocks, as she requested. The sound of her fell away as he crossed over onto the third block away from the bridge. They were lost to the sound of the traffic. He stopped._

_He turned around. The girl was there on the other side of the street, holding her bike next to her._

_Leave me alone._

_He cross the street to stand in front of her again. She didn't move away._

_"Go home." Her words were direct. Meddlesome. Unwavering._

_"I can't." The words cut his mouth._

_"Go ... somewhere. Somewhere you can sleep." Her eyes. "The feeling will pass," she continued. "Maybe not in the morning, maybe not this week, but you'll remember someday."_

_He wanted to terrorize her. To show her the error of her ways. To show her that her benevolence was misguided and misplaced. To show her that she would have pushed him off that bridge if she knew anything about him._

_But instead he caught her studying his face. He was suddenly very aware of all of his flaws. She was dissecting him. It was unnatural. It was wrong. He wouldn't let her. He turned away with a shudder._

_"What is your name?"_

_"Ben." It just came out. Why did he say that name? Why did he answer at all?_

_"Good-bye, Ben."_

_He never learned her name. She disappeared from his life. The life she has just saved._

 

* * *

 

Rey felt hugged for the first time in a long time. She didn't want to wake up. The cotton was so soft.

That wasn't right.

Rey shot awake. She was in a bed. Not her bed - she didn't own a bed. She blinked and looked around. It was a tiny studio. Where was she? She looked over to the nightstand and saw the nameplate on the phone. _I'm in a hotel, but ... why?_

She immediately looked at her body and found all of her clothes intact, even her shoes. The other side of the bed was untouched. She couldn't find her bag. Had she lost it? Rey bit her lip and hit her knee with her fist. She couldn't believe this.

Rey got up and checked the bathroom to make sure she was alone. She didn't know what to do with that information.

She looked in the mirror and saw a wretched girl staring at her in return. She couldn't believe she was such a lightweight. She promised herself to never touch the stuff again. Rey tried not to cry. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were filthy.

Rey took a quick shower because she needed to get out of there, but she wished she could have stayed longer. The room was ... very nice. It was like out of a magazine. It all looked brand new and smelled nice. She found the ice bucket and smirked. She almost wanted to get a bucket full of ice just because she could. And the TV ...

Her hand reached for the remote, but she found something next to it. A business card. The logo of some company, a bank? Also a phone number and address.

She flipped it around and found immaculate hand-writing: "I have your things."

Her eyebrows raised. Oh?

 

* * *

 

Ren looked at his watch. It was half past two and there was still no sign of the girl. She must have been kicked out of the hotel by now. He asked his secretary if she had mistakenly turned her away, but he was disappointed to learn, for once, that she hadn't.

Did she not care about these things? Perhaps she didn't. To him, it was all junk. Worthless.

His hands instinctively touched the girl's sketch pad. He eyed its cracked spine and stained cover. He read those words and he saw her pictures. No. This was important to her.

He stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. Of course she could just abandon it. It was only scraps of paper. Paper was not scarce. She'd be a fool to grow attached to it.

 _Ding._ His thoughts were interrupted by a notification on his phone. He almost ignored it in favor of seething, but he checked. He always checked.

It was a bank alert regarding a charge to his account. $886.23 was just authorized. Ren stared at the number in various stages of confusion. A few swipes and it was revealed that it was from the hotel.

His confusion turned to anger.

 

* * *

 

The woman at the hotel front desk finished typing to look back at Rey. She smiled, "All clear. Your stay has been extended for the rest of the week."

Rey could hardly believe that worked. "Thank ... you," she whispered with a smile. Her key was re-activated and handed back to her. When Rey held it back in her hands, her smile dropped. This is wrong, she knew. She had just stolen. She swallowed and walked away. She had justified herself in thinking that whoever took her things had also stolen, but ... two wrongs didn't make a right. As much as she wanted to spend a few more nights in that hotel, it was wrong.

She had made it all the way back to her room before the guilt overtook her. She sighed and turned back.

Rey placed the key back on the front desk, but the woman behind the counter was on the phone. She saw Rey and made a face. "Actually ... She is right in front of me."

Rey froze. She was too late. The police were already on to her.

The front desk woman pursed her lips in the awkwardness, "You want to speak with her?"

Rey absolutely did not want to speak with whoever was on that phone. She took a step back, but the woman halted her. "Ma'am," she warned. "There was an issue with your room."

"I'm sorry," the words trembled from her lips. She truly was sorry.

"The card holder wishes to speak with you." The card holder? Rey tried to remember the name on the business card in her room. But there was no name.

The woman extended the phone receiver to Rey. She took it and placed it delicately to her ear, expecting to berated. There was only silence on the other end.

"Hello?" she asked meekly.

More silence.

"... Hello?" she repeated.

"Two of my men are on the way," the deep voice of a man enunciated sharply. "I'll hope you didn't find another switchblade since yesterday." What? Rey tried to remember events from the day before, but everything had gone hazy. She realized at that moment that her knife was missing too. The last time she remembered the knife ... Oh no.

He was one of the people who attacked her in the alley! That was who this was! That was who took her bag! To think, she almost felt sorry for what she had done!

"You're a criminal." She gripped the receiver until she thought it would break.

"Said the thief," he shot back. Rey swallowed. He was right, except he wasn't - she had changed her mind - he was the real thief here!

"I want my bag back!"

"I'm not keeping it from you."

That was ... true. The card he left was pretty explicit.

"Bring it to me," she dared to say. She was trembling, but she didn't want to walk into a wolves den so easily.

She heard him exhale with a small laugh - laughing at her. "No," he said with a confidence that made Rey's blood boil. "I think you've misunderstood the situation. You will come to me."


End file.
